Considering Avatar Crossing as Harm or Help for Adolescents in Social VR

People leverage avatars to communicate nonverbal behaviors in immersive virtual reality (VR), like interpersonal distance [2, 6] and virtual touch [5]. However, violations of appropriate physical distancing and unsolicited intimate touching behavior in social virtual worlds represent potential social and psychological virtual harm to older adolescent users [4, 8]. Obtaining peer acceptance and social rewards, while avoiding social rejection can drive older adolescent behavior even in simulated virtual spaces [1, 3], and while "the beginning of adolescence is largely defined by a biological event, [...] the end of adolescence is often defined socially" [3] (p.912). Avatar crossing, the phenomenon of avatars walking through each other in virtual environments, is a unique capability of virtual embodiment, and others intriguing possibilities and ethical concerns for older adolescents experiencing social virtual spaces. For example, the ability to cross through and share positions with other avatars in a virtual classroom helps students concentrate on accessing and comprehending information without concerns about blocking others when navigating for better viewpoints [10]. However, the ability to cross through others in virtual spaces has been associated with a reduction in perceived presence and avatar realism, coupled with a greater level of discomfort and intimidation in comparison to avatar collisions [12]. In this article, we consider the potential benefits and harms of utilizing avatar crossing with adolescent users.